Bushiroad Music recently announced the fourth live band, named “Morfonica”, from the “BanG Dream! Project” and they are going to be one to watch out for!
BAND-MAID is a hard rock/metal band who have been making waves for a couple years with their intense and powerful performances. Writing and playing all the music themselves, some people have questioned if this band made up of all girls could possibly be the real deal and they assure us time and time again that they are. Their latest album "New Beginning" was one of my personal favorites of 2015 and definitely deserves a listen. "alone" is their latest single and comes out well ahead of the May release of their upcoming EP "Brand New MAID". The first thing you'll notice about "alone" is that it's a HARD song. Maybe harder than most of BAND-MAID's previous work. It's a little darker too, but it still remains super catchy. Even with a slight change in tone, BAND-MAID's formula remains the same, which is exactly what fans probably want from them. Vocalist Saiki ATSUMI has such a strong voice and is backed by some of the most talented musicians in the Japanese hard rock scene, female, male, or otherwise. There's not much to say about the PV, since it's just a performance video, but the song is amazing. BAND-MAID is setting themselves up to be an international sensation, one release at a time. They're making their US debut this year in Seattle at SakuraCon and playing in the UK as well. I can't wait for their new EP, and I know this band has potential for global recognition, and they certainly deserve it. -Justin BAND-MAID Is: Vocals: Saiki ATSUMI Guitar,Vocals: Miku KOBATO Guitar: Kanami TOUNO Drums: Akane HIROSE Bass: MISA For More Information: Website: bandmaid.tokyo Twitter: https://twitter.com/bandmaid YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJToUvYrmkmTCR-bluEaQfA BAND-MAID - alone MVRecently a friend asked me if there were any original Japanese Christmas songs I could recommend since they had never heard of any. I was shocked since I could easily think of several dozen off the top of my head and assumed they could too seeing as they were also a fan of Japanese music. See, Christmas music is something I really enjoy and Japanese Christmas music holds a special place too. So with that in mind I set out to make a list of my favorite Japanese Christmas songs both for my friend and for everyone else! Well, when I started that list I realized that it was LONG and that it was all over the place genre-wise. Also, it's worth noting that there are a lot of "winter" songs in Japan that have that Christmas feel, but really aren't Christmas songs in the traditional sense. So compiling a list like this turned out to be harder than I first thought. After some deliberation I decided to narrow the focus to Japanese idol Christmas songs. So here is my list! A few notes though. First, while this list has the "Top 10" feel it isn't so much a ranking as much as just a collection of my ten favorite idol Christmas songs. You can get a slight feel for my favorites depending on where the song is placed in the list, but for the most part I did not try to rank them and as you can see I didn't number them. Also, this list is by no means comprehensive. There are many more songs I didn't include for various reasons; mainly space. Also, I only included original songs so you won't find any covers of English Christmas songs here. (There are a LOT of those by the way) Make sure to check them out and build your own idol Christmas playlist! e-girls - Merry x Merry XMase-girls have a new Christmas song this year! The production values are high, the outfits and sets are beautiful and the girls all look amazing. Why don't I place this higher on the list you ask? Well, I have to admit that it's a great song, but I personally prefer Mr.Snowman to this one. That is a matter of personal preference though and I'm sure many out there will disagree with me on this one. That said, this song isn't a bad one I just feel that the whole package was presented just a little better last year. Don't let my opinion keep this one from your Christmas playlist though! It's already on mine! Shige-pink & Kohappink - Wa~ MERRY Pin X'Mas!Kusumi Koharu was always my Morning Musume oshi so I had to add this one here. I am not a huge fan of the cuteness overload that you hear in this song, but it's cute and catchy so we'll just leave it here nonetheless! Besides Kusumi you also get Sayumi in her earlier years, so there's that as an added bonus though I personally feel that Shige-pink and Kohappink borderlined on cringe-worthiness at times. Once again, personal preference here. Mild criticism aside, this is a standard for every holiday season in my opinion. Whether this is your preferred style or not, it's one that you should check out! Petit Moni - Pittari Shitai X'Mas!More Hello! Project songs! This time it's Petit Moni, which was a group that had my first Hello! Project/Morning Musume oshi, Goto Maki. This was a single for Petit Moni and while I always found it weird when seasonal songs are released as singles (Since they can only be played at one time of the year) I think this one stands out. It has the old-school Tsunku-vibe to it and has been covered countless times by other Hello! Project artists over the years in concert. Seeing as this comes from the height of the Morning Musume boom, the production values are high and this song stands the test of time without sounding too dated. A great addition! SCANDAL - Koibito ga Santa Claus "Koibito ga Santa Claus" is one of the Japanese Christmas songs that you can't get away from. Originally recorded by Yumi Matsutoya it has been covered more times than I can possibly think of. It's a Christmas standard in Japan and the version here is from all-girl rock band Scandal. Not quite an idol cover, but it's the best I could find on short notice! That said, it's a classic for a reason. This is an amazing song that can lend itself to many different musical styles not just its original pop or even the rock you see here. If you're making a Japanese holiday playlist just throw in a half dozen of versions of this and you're halfway there! Vanilla Mood - X'Mas Melody Vanilla Mood is an odd one. They were a four piece band (currently three) that played their own instruments (piano, flute, violin, and cello) but they were marketed as idols circa their debut. We at A-To-J have worked with other artists that are marketed as idols even though we feel they belong in more mature categories so we're no stranger to this, but it was still an odd choice of marketing for the group at the time. That being said this song is an amazingly beautiful song that you should check out! Vanilla Mood was never too popular either so there is a very good chance that this is the first time you're hearing of them. Also it's worth noting that this version of the song is actually a re-recording as vocalist/pianist, Keiko, recorded this song solo prior to this group version. Keiko's solo version was originally released on a Christmas compilation of other original Japanese Christmas songs, but that's for another article. This one is just a little fuller with the other girls performing as well. Buono! - -Winter story- Want an idol Christmas song with just a hint of rock? Then look no further than Buono!'s "Winter Story"! I am a huge fan of all things Buono so this was kind of a given. It was actually this song that really inspired me to track down other idol Christmas songs. Buono might have dissolved with the graduation of Berryz Koubou, but thanks to recent announcements I think it's safe to assume that those watching the Hello! Countdown live this year will most likely have the joy of seeing this song performed live! The English is the chorus just a little off (something that can make or break a song in my opinion) but it never feels too jarring and taken in its entirety it is a very upbeat song that is hard to dislike no matter what your preference is. The rock stylings, complete with the occasional live instruments, help set this one apart from the rest. Definitely one to check out! ZYX - Shiroi Tokyo Okay in case you haven't noticed there is a lot of Hello! Project love on this list. While there is a certain bias towards them there is also the fact that they have put out an amazing number of Christmas songs over the years! Many of them were singles too which is even less common. This was the second (and ultimately last) single for the group ZYX and they went out with a bang! One of the catchiest Christmas songs, this song would become one of the most covered songs in concerts during the holiday season. Also owing to when it was released, it has that fun early 2000s idol vibe that you just don't see in music today. A great addition to your holiday music collection! e-girls - Mr.SnowmanUp now is another one from avex idol supergroup e-girls with "Mr.Snowman"! This song has it all, a catchy melody, uplifting lyrics and beat and an amazingly colorful video to go along with it! If you want a fun song to share with loved ones this year then look no further! Being as e-girls is made up of several smaller idol groups, the video has a refreshing feel as each group/girl take center stage. Being that they're avex they also have some of the greatest songwriters at their disposal to write what is sure to become a Japanese Christmas standard. At the rate e-girls are going they might just overtake Hello! Project in the number of Christmas songs in their catalog. While I love Hello! Project Christmas songs, this is something I'd be really happy to see! C-ute - Aitai Lonely Christmas Most of the other songs on this list are upbeat ones, well now we have C-ute's "Aitai Lonely Christmas". Other songs on this list actually have lyrics that lean more towards sad, but this song is different in that you can actually feel it in the music and video whether or not you know the lyrics themselves. This has to be my favorite idol Christmas song period. The song is well-written and arranged, the track is powerful and different than your typical Christmas song and the girls look great in a video that had decent production values for contemporary Hello! Project. It is also worth noting that we at A-To-J have a certain bias to C-ute these days and love to mention them whenever we can! That said, you should really check this song out. Great vocal performances and the song's message of longing can add a different feel to any holiday playlist. SOLIDEMO - Christmas Eve Okay, this is the other song-every-Japanese-artist-covers-on-Christmas song! There are countless covers of this song, both official and unofficial. Why is this you ask? Well, this song is just so perfect! Tatsuro Yamashita recorded this song in the early 90s in both Japanese and English. The Japanese version has been featured in countless movies and dramas and was recently re-recorded last year. There have been all sorts of covers too over the years. Instrumental, jazz, rock, versions in other languages, it is safe to say that this is Japan's most popular Christmas song. The version here is one by avex group, SOLIDEMO. This video was literally just uploaded Christmas Eve 2015 (yesterday at the time of writing) and is one of the best performances of this song I've ever heard. We at A-To-J were lucky enough to interview SOLIDEMO earlier this year too and they are the friendliest group you could ever hope to meet! Also, since this is an idol Christmas music playlist, I figured it'd be best to find one of the many idol covers of this song. So, if you're putting together that holiday playlist, be sure to throw in a few versions of Christmas Eve! Also....just for fun and because we at A-To-J also cover visual kei, here is my favorite visual kei Christmas song! Yes those exist! Mix Speaker's Inc. - My wish [Horror] X'MasWant some visual kei on Christmas? Well, there are actually lots of Christmas songs by visual kei artists, both original and otherwise. Perhaps this is a list I will compile for next year, we shall see. In the meantime here is my personal favorite, Mix Speaker's Inc.'s "My wish [Horror] X'Mas". While Mix Speaker's Inc. have recently gone through a significant change in vocalists after the departure of Yuki, I think they were a special band in the early days and had a chemistry you don't see too often in visual kei. While this song is something of a departure for the group at the time (also worth noting that this was a single release) it has all the hallmarks of a Christmas classic. It rocks at just the right levels without being too heavy and has the timeless feel that ensure that this is a future classic in the making. If you haven't heard it yet then check it out! There you have it, my picks for an idol Christmas playlist. I repeat that this list is in no way comprehensive. There are countless other idol Christmas songs out there that I know of and there are probably far more that I am unaware of, but this should be enough to get you into the holiday feeling! 'Til next year! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
-Manuel (alavic_222) Juice=Juice finally released their album a while ago, and I’m here to tell you all about it! Since the first disc is a collection of most of their singles that they’ve released since they started up, I’m not going to talk too much about that. I really want to try and spend most my time covering all the new stuff instead. That being said, listening to the first disc, called “The Best Juice”, gives you a nice little history of the progress they have had since they started. Interestingly, the disc doesn’t actually start with their first song. It starts with their final indie single, which was really them providing their version of a Hello Pro Kenshuusei song: ‘Ten Made Nobore!’ In their defense, it’s the only indie single of theirs that never saw a major release. It’s a slower song that is pleasant to listen to, but is a weak way to begin the disc, in my opinion. Moving forward, the rest of the songs on the first disc are from their major debut single (‘Romance no Tochuu’) all the way to the release right before the most recent single (‘Senobi’ / ‘Date ja nai yo Uchi no Jinsei wa’). They had actually started with a very strong jazz-like presence, which evolved into a much more pop style as time went on. They still retained the slight jazz feel in order to push forward their ‘cool’ theme, but the style isn’t as strong as it was when it started. This can, of course, be heard as you listen through the first disc on “First Squeeze!” The second disc, “The Brand-new Juice”, is where the fun really begins. It kicks off with one of the songs from their newest single releases: ‘Wonderful World’. It’s not particularly mind-blowing, but it is a very pleasant song to listen to. It doesn’t show off any exceptional singing talents, but it does manage to pull you in with a pleasant melody that is simple to follow. The next song is ‘CHOICE & CHANCE’, which is a new song that is addictively catchy. It doesn’t do anything brave, but keeps with Juice=Juice’s theme they’ve been keeping. ‘Ai Ai Gasa’ follows which sounds like the sort of song you would expect to hear on the beach as you relax on a pleasant summer day. ‘Umaretate no Baby Love’ is the first song that really starts to show a little bit more skill out of the girls. While there isn’t much vocal range presented in this song, they manage to hit their notes quite effectively and also keep in sync with each other very well. ‘Erabareshi Watashitachi’ is next and it features a much more instrumental and rock style to it. The guitar sections, while not particularly complex, add a lot of personality to the song as a whole, which really helps give a slight contrast yet accentuate the lovely vocals. It’s definitely a pleasant change of pace from the more jazz/pop style of most of the other songs so far. ‘Ça va? Ça va?’ follows, which is the other song from their newest single. A bit different in style from Wonderful World, this one focuses on a more catchy yet cute feeling while throwing in a little bit of French here and there to try and make it sound a little exotic. The next song is by far my favorite song on the album: ‘GIRLS BE AMBITIOUS’. This one has a more rock feel to it, like ‘Umaretate no Baby Love’. The beat is extremely catchy and is the type of song you can’t help but bob your head to. It fluctuates back and forth a bit from a focus on vocals then a focus on instrumental then a focus on combining both of those. To top it off, it is by far the best use of vocal skill that has been presented on the album so far. I also found out after I decided it was my favorite that it was actually written and composed by Takui Nakajima, who has been grabbing my attention a lot lately with his exceptional work (see: Taiki Bansei, Lady Mermaid, Ikujinashi, etc.). Up next is ‘Ai no Diving’. This one has a pretty repetitive set of lyrics, which may or may not appeal to you. That being said, the instrumental is actually pretty fun to listen to, which helps give this song some quality that it wouldn’t have otherwise. For some reason, this song makes me think of the type of song I’d expect to hear while playing Mario Kart. ‘Tick-Tock Watashi no Shun’ is more like ‘Wonderful World’, with a much more soothing and calm melody. Considering the more daring songs that have been on the disc, it helps add some much needed variety and rest to the listener. Next is ‘Mirai e, Saa Hashiridase!’ This song has just the right amount of relaxation and enticing sounds to make it appealing to the ears. That being said, there isn’t really much to make this stand out. It’s a fairly generic song overall, especially considering the top quality of the rest of the album. The final song on the second disc, ‘Tsudzuiteiku STORY’, is the expected ballad-like song that Hello! Project albums tend to close with. That’s not to say that the song isn’t good, it just follows the same mold. From the standpoint of the listener, it’s actually a pretty good way to present things. You start off the album a little slow to ease in the listener then attack their senses through the middle then slow back down to allow the listener time to absorb everything they heard. They keep using this formula because, frankly speaking, it’s effective. The final disc, “The Cover Juice”, is a small collection of covers of other Hello! Project songs. The first track is ‘Magic of Love’, originally sung by Taiyou to Ciscomoon. It retains the classic dance style of the original, while infusing that Juice=Juice personality. Quite effectively, I might add. ‘Kosui’ is up next, which was originally sung by Melon Kinenbi. I feel like Juice=Juice did a really good job of capturing that really pleasant feel of the original in this cover and that the lines were distributed quite nicely in order to make each singer’s strengths shine a little. I always loved ‘Narihajimeta Koi no Bell’, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear Juice=Juice’s cover of this song by Ongaku Gatas. The more jazz-like style of this song suits Juice=Juice really well, and helps compliment them as a group. ‘Scramble’, originally sung by Maki Goto, is an oddball. While the cover is actually done pretty well, part of the charm of it being a solo song is taken away with having five singers contributing to the song. This is a personal gripe, and most will likely enjoy the song, but this fact kind of turns me off to the song. The next song, which happens to be one of my favorite Petitmoni songs, is ‘BABY! Koi ni KNOCK OUT!’ (Sung by Yuka Miyazaki, Tomoko Kanazawa and Akari Uemura in this cover). My opinion on this is meaningless, because I love this song so much that no matter how good or bad a cover is, I’ll still love it. I really like that Yuka and Akari, who aren’t the most talented singers exactly, are able to shine next to the much better Tomoko. This song really does play to them together as a trio. The final disc closes out with the Tanpopo song ‘Last Kiss’, sung by (arguably) the two best singers in Juice=Juice: Sayuki Takagi and Karin Miyamoto. Listening to both versions back to back really helps show how much skill Tanpopo had in this song, and how Karin and Sayuki have a little bit to go to catch up. The thing is, though, that they are very skilled, but have a slightly different style. In the end the cover is well done though, and they do a beautiful job of doing the song justice. After having waited over two years for their first album to release, Juice=Juice did not disappoint in even the slightest. There is a good variety of content on here, and even a little fan service to sate the more nostalgic fans on the final disc. They play to their strengths and paint a portrait that helps give a sense of finality to the style they’ve been developing since they started. Hello! Project has managed to push out some really nice things this year, and this album seals the deal. The best part is that there is still plenty more to come. Juice=Juice’s first album (released on July 15, 2015), “First Squeeze!”, is available in three editions. Limited Edition A comes with a Blu-ray disc that contains all of their music videos and variations (Dance Shots, Close-ups, etc.). Limited Edition B comes with a DVD that contains their full concert performance on 4/25 at Sapporo from their first live tour. The regular edition contains the third music CD which is where the covers are. Yes that’s right, only the regular edition has all three discs of music. The others only have the first two discs. “First Squeeze!” is available on iTunes (though lacking the covers) or can be purchased from cdjapan.co.jp. Juice=Juice is: - Yuka Miyazaki - Tomoko Kanazawa - Sayuki Takagi - Karin Miyamoto - Akari Uemura Music videos of album exclusive songs can be viewed below: After having an interesting start as an indie rock band with some pop influences, LoVendoЯ has finally had their major debut with the double A-side single ‘Iin ja nai? / Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!’ This release is actually quite unique in comparison with their previous efforts. To begin with, there are instrumental tracks included, which are non-existent in all of their other releases. Now that their skills have improved immensely since they started, the guitarists were actually able to provide compositions this time around. While this is not unheard of in most rock bands, LoVendoЯ has a deep-rooted basis in pop due to one of their members being a prominent ex-idol from Morning Musume. That being said, let’s jump right into the review of the music. First off is what I believe is the strongest point of the whole release: Iin ja nai? The song has a very strong rock feel with some very nice tunes. One thing I really like about it is that there are no real breaks in the sounds. We continuously get a barrage of either guitar, bass or drums at all times, excluding the occasional transition. Throughout the song you will also hear some very solid (though admittedly relatively simplistic) solos from each guitarist in order to add the kind of individual personality needed to help each band member stand out in her own way. Also, Reina’s vocals, while still carrying that slight idol feel from her past, are actually much improved and appropriate in this song. Marina also provides strong vocals here as well. Unfortunately, I feel like their two vocal styles differ enough to offer a sometimes sharp contrast. While I personally like Marina’s singing better than Reina’s, they both do their parts beautifully in this song. That being said, I do like how the stark contrast is actually played as a positive quality in this song, where it oddly works out quite nicely. This song is going to provide a nice barrage of sounds to your ears in a nonstop aural pleasure-fest. The strong quality is no surprise though, considering the fact that this song’s lyrics, composition and chorus were all written by the acclaimed Takui Nakajima, who has not only composed songs for LoVendoЯ, but has also done so for ANGERME, C-ute and other big acts associated with Up-Front. Moving on to the other A-side: Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare! This song actually has a bit of pop and jazz feel to it, rather than a strictly rock style like Iin ja nai? This offers a nice contrast to the other A-side, thus providing some nice variety to the release. In this song, the two vocalist actually work to try and match each other’s style in order to provide a more harmonious experience to couple with the slightly more chaotic style of the instrumentals. The mix of styles within the instruments actually really play out quite nicely due to the talent of the band as a whole (including the uncredited bass and drums). One thing of particular note that I noticed is the way that it sounds like Marin and Yuki actually have a conversation with each other through the use of their guitars throughout various parts of the song (a style with an origin in jazz). This adds a sort of interaction to the song that you don’t see in the average rock band these days, which is very welcome. Overall, this song also helps push LoVendoЯ forward with a much stronger sound than their previous (and slightly more conservative) past. Desert of a moonlight night ~Tsukiyo no Sabaku~, composed by Yuki Uozumi (one of the guitarists), is an instrumental track that actually reminds me of the sort of strong battle music I’m used to hearing out of a Japanese style RPG game. It’s a very fast paced instrumental track that really helps show off Yuki’s skills of being able to change notes quite quickly and adeptly. Princess of lone castle ~ Koujou no Himegimi ~, composed by Marin Miyazawa (the other guitarist), sounds like something straight out of an anime. It has a more adventurist feel that makes you feel like you’re being taken on a journey rather than through a tough challenge or fight like Yuki’s song. Being composed by Marin, this one plays on Marin’s skills of a more heavy handed style of guitar playing. While it isn’t really fast-paced (in comparison to Desert of a moonlight night), it is plays more on the ability to mend together sounds to create a pleasant melody without the need to be overly complex or intense. Both of the instrumentals are a very welcome change to their normal releases and I hope they keep up with these in the future. Iin ja nai? / Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare! released on July 1, 2015 with 3 editions and won 7th place on the Weekly Oricon Charts. All editions include the double A-sides and their instrumental versions as well. Additionally, Regular Edition A contains Desert of a moonlight night ~Tsukiyo no Sabaku~ (Yuki’s song) while Regular Edition B contains Princess of lone castle ~ Koujou no Himegimi ~ (Marin’s song). The Limited Edition, while only including the double A-side and their instrumentals, does also include a DVD with both music videos and three performances of Sennou, Soushi Souai and Hontou no Kimochi from their final performance from their Steal Your Heart tour (Performed in Shinjuku BLAZE, which I had the pleasure of attending and I can tell you was one of the best concerts I’ve seen.). The single can be purchased from iTunes or from cdjapan.co.jp. LoVendoЯ Is: ◆Reina Tanaka – Vocals ◆Marina Okada – Vocals ◆Yuki Uozumi – Guitar ◆Marin Miyazawa – Guitar (Uncredited): ◆Tabasa Hayashi – Bass ◆Kiyoshi – Bass ◆Jirou Miyanaga – Bass ◆Kaori Kobayashi – Drums ◆Yu Yamauchi - Drums Videos for all four songs can be viewed below: BAND-MAID are back with a new look and PV for the song "REAL EXISTENCE"! While still sporting their trademark maid motif, the band has taken a slightly darker approach to the usually-cute black/white maid style. This departure can especially be seen in Saiki (Vocals) and MISA's (bass) outfits which are both maid-inspired, but all black. MISA's outfit itself is unique as well in that it can be argued that the maid style is minimal if all but non-existent. Sound-wise the song is not necessarily a departure from their previous works, but is a welcome dose of hard-rock that one would probably not expect from the group had they not been familiar with them before. The video itself is beautifully shot with some amazing location choices and a level of style one usually doesn't see in independent releases. All the girls get ample screen time and look great here. While this quintet has proven that they have the musical chops to match their rivals, they are in rare form in this track. Akane's drumming is spot on and keeps the band perfectly in time. MISA's bass fills in the second verse are notable as is her playing in general throughout. Do I even have to point out the blistering guitar solo from Kanami? This is a band that shouldn't be taken lightly! The twin vocals of Saiki and Miku are executed perfectly and the whole package becomes something that this writer feels goes far beyond their gimmick of being a band made up of musicians dressed up as maids. I give it until the release of their next album till they are fully recognized for the amazing musicians they are. BAND-MAID is a five-member all-girl rock band that are managed by Platinum Production and are on the Gump Records label. They formed in July 2013 and had their first live on July 24, 2013 at SHIBUYA-AX. January 8, 2014 saw the release of their first album, titled "MAID IN JAPAN", and they released their first single, "Ai to Jounetsu no Matadore" on August 13, 2014. Be sure to keep an eye out for the band's future releases as they are one of the hot new band's to watch! Here's to their next release! BAND-MAID Are: ◆ Saiki - Vocals ◆ Kobato Miku - Guitar & Vocals ◆ Tono Kanami - Guitar ◆ Hirose Akane - Drums (Leader) ◆ MISA - Bass LoVendoR's PV for the song "Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!" was recently released and this video is just as much fun as one comes to expect from the four-member, all-girl group! The new PV is the second from the group's upcoming major debut single "Iin ja nai?/Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!". I previously covered the release of the first PV from this single (Can be found here) and just a few days later we are treated to the second! While the two songs differ in many ways, they both give the listener the solid, fun sound that is LoVendoR. First and foremost in the changes is the fact that this song has a different team behind it that "Iin ja nai?". While Takui Nakajima handled writing duties the first time around, this time Watanabe Miki provided the music and former Hello! Project mastermind, Tsunku, provides the lyrics. This latter point is interesting as it lends an element to the song that many have missed in the recent Hello! Project outings of late. The song's message is positive as one expects and has the catchy feel that both draws in first-time listeners and keeps them coming back again and again. Being that the song is written in a more pop feel than some of their more rock-oriented numbers don't expect too much in the way of shocking drum fills or blistering guitar solos. That said, the song will most definitely have you singing along by the second chorus! Let's look at the song performance for a minute. I usually rave about Tanaka Reina's singing when I talk about LoVendoR, but I have to say that I feel that Okada Marina stole the show on this one. While their vocal style works well together on this song, for some reason I felt that there were two completely different sounds in this song and Marina's was definitely the one that I preferred. Also I feel that her personality comes out in the video more so than Reina's and this only leads to one to want to pay even more attention to her. What about her "Samashii samashii deshou?" line in the final chorus? I'll admit that when I first heard that part I was taken out of the song, but it has since grown on me and I like that little touch. Back to the main point, her vocal style seems to suit this song like a glove and while I don't think that Reina is out of place, I do feel that she was overshadowed in this song greatly by Marina. This is not necessarily a bad thing as I think there are times when Reina receives just a little too much attention. Musically we get the twin guitar stylings of Marin and Yuki here and while their playing is not front and center as it is on some songs, the two do an awesome job showcasing their skills as well as laying down some nice shared melodies and solos. Moving onto the video itself. Simply put, it's playful, fun and colorful. That could be said about a lof of recent UFA PVs, but there is a bit more meat to this video that we usually get from Up-Front. I think this has to do with the subject matter at hand as there is a bit more to work with in terms of concept. Playing off the theme of the song, we see the girls engaging in various activities. These activities come about when they are inspired by a certain group they see on TV! We get some nice fortune telling by Miyazawa Marin, some random hobbies (That rabbit in the hat!) from Tanaka Reina, dress up from Marina and just some awesome partying and rocking out from Uozumi Yuki! The side scenes give the girls some time to have fun on screen, but it is these segments that I feel that Marina and Marin visually steal the show. They not only look great, but their quirks shine through here. Lots of fun was clearly had here and that feeling comes through in both song and video. While there are a few extra shots than one usually sees, it is important to not that the video is not too far removed from the general type that Up-Front commits to these days. Thankfully, it happens to be a good example of how the simple PV formula can be done well. On a final note, be sure to watch until the very end to see more funny bits from Marin... That's it for now! Check out the PV itself in full below and be sure to pick up the single, "Iin Ja Nai?/Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!" when it drops July 1st! Remember, be careful when playing with nunchaku! -alavic_222 LoVendoR Are: ◆ Tanaka Reina (田中麗奈) (Vocals) ◆ Okada Marina (岡田万里奈) (Vocals) ◆ Uozumi Yuki (魚住有希) (Guitar) ◆ Miyazawa Marin (宮澤茉凛) (Guitar) Official Website: http://lovendor.jp/ From time to time A-To-J Connections likes to shine the spotlight on artists that we feel are deserving of attention they don't seem to be receiving, especially in the US. With this in mind, I bring to your attention the all-girl quintet, "BAND-MAID". BAND-MAID is a five-member all-girl rock band that are managed by Platinum Production and are on the Gump Records label. They formed in July 2013 and had their first live on July 24, 2013 at SHIBUYA-AX. January 8, 2014 saw the release of their first album, titled "MAID IN JAPAN", and they released their first single, "Ai to Jounetsu no Matadore" on August 13, 2014, It is from this single where this song "Thrill" can be found. As their name implies, they are a hard rock band with a unique take on the genre that involves dressing and performing in maid outfits. While this may seem like a simple gimmick, in reality it only serves as window dressing for what is a powerful and skilled band. One only needs to hear Tono Kanami's guitar solo (not to mention MISA's bass solo) to see what I mean. Besides the great solo work, we have the twin vocals of Saiki and Kobato Miku that perfectly complement each other and the band as well. As far as beat goes, Hirose Akane is a master on drums and she does a good job not only keeping the band in time, but also acting as their leader. There is clearly lots of talent within this group and they should not be dismissed off-hand. The video for the song "Thrill" is also a huge addition to a great song and it is well-executed in its basic-ness. The near-monochrome shots paired with the bright flashes of red outfits and normal-colored shots offer a sharp contrast that play well on the fact that all the girls look great here. The editing here is perfect without having to resort to flashy tricks and the lyric text is a nice touch. Did I mention there was a touch of headbanging here? Because there is! All in all, the video is well-done and we can only hope they produce promotional videos for some of their other songs in the near future. BAND-MAID as a group took me by surprise when I stumbled upon them online and I hope to hear more from them in future. If you have not heard of them yet, I insist that you check them out now! I promise you won't be disappointed! BAND-MAID Are: ◆ Saiki - Vocals ◆ Kobato Miku - Guitar & Vocals ◆ Tono Kanami - Guitar ◆ Hirose Akane - Drums (Leader) ◆ MISA - Bass Osaka-based rock band SCANDAL announced their plans to tour the world recently and the tour dates and locations are finally starting to shape up! The tour is titled "SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 'HELLO WORLD'" and is their first all-inclusive world tour. Fresh off their recent album "HELLO WORLD" and their single "Image" they are set to take the world by storm this spring. The tour kicks off in Europe with stops in France, London and Essen in April. The quartet then continues on to Asia with an undisclosed show in Singapore and a show in Taiwan. They then head off to North America for an appearance at Anime Central and three concerts. Now it is the US shows that interest this author, and all of us at A-To-J Connections, most of all. They have a show in Chicago on May 15th followed the next week by two in the Southern California area (With a show in Mexico in between). One in the House of Blues Anaheim on May 22nd and one at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip on May 23rd. While these shows are in great locations and in amazing venues, some might see some problems with timing. These dates sadly conflict with Fanime Con in San Jose which A-To-J Connections has committed to attend, but they are sure to be amazing shows that no one should miss out on! The tour continues, and wraps up, in Hong Kong on May 29th. The group then returns to Japan. The official site for the tour can be found below along with links to purchase tickets for most of the announced shows. SCANDAL is a four-piece all-girl Pop/Rock band that formed in 2006. They debuted in 2008 with the single "DOLL" and would go onto major success when their debut album "BEST SCANDAL" took the #5 spot on the Oricon charts, the first time since ZONE that a girl band debuted in the top five. They have released twenty-three singles and six albums since their debut and have performed all around the world including the US, Europe and Asia. Their contributions musically to anime by way of theme songs and their constant touring has ensured that their worldwide fan base has remained consistently large. Their most recent single "Image" was released on November 11, 2014. Official SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 webpage: http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/scandal/worldtour2015/ SCANDAL Are: ● Lead Vocals/Guitar - Haruna Ono ● Lead Guitar/Vocals - Mami Sasazaki ● Bass/Lead Vocals - Tomomi Ogawa ● Drums/Keyboards/Vocals - Rina Suzuki |
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